Washington Monument reopens after quake repairs

By Katia Hetter, CNN

Updated 2:57 PM ET, Mon May 12, 2014

Photos: Washington Monument reopens10 photos

Washington Monument reopens – The Washington Monument is reopening after a 2011 earthquake caused $15 million in damage. Cutting the ribbon Monday, May 12, were, from left, National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Robert Vogel; Caroline Cunningham, president of the Trust for the National Mall; David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-CEO of the Carlyle Group; National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis; U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell; counselor to President Obama John Podesta; Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C.; and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (with unidentified man).

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Photos: Washington Monument reopens10 photos

Washington Monument reopens – One of Washington's most popular sites, the 555-foot obelisk had been closed since the magnitude-5.8 earthquake on August 23, 2011, caused more than 150 cracks in the structure.

Washington Monument reopens – The ceremony included entertainment from "American Idol" winner Candice Glover, seen here, the Boy and Girl Choristers of Washington National Cathedral Choir, the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the U.S. Navy Band.

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Washington Monument reopens – David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-CEO of the Carlyle Group, addresses National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis and the rest of the crowd. For the restoration project, Congress allocated $7.5 million, and Rubenstein matched those funds with a $7.5 million donation via the Trust for the National Mall.

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Washington Monument reopens – Ticketed public tours were made available at the Washington Monument Lodge on a first-come basis for the reopening.

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Washington Monument reopens – Re-enactors portraying President George Washington and his wife, Martha, attend the reopening celebrations. Built as a tribute to Washington's military leadership during the American Revolution, construction of the Washington Monument was started in 1848 and completed in 1884.

One of Washington's most popular sites, the 555-foot obelisk had been closed since a magnitude-5.8 earthquake in August 2011 caused more than 150 cracks in the structure.

The National Park Service and the Trust for the National Mall hosted a reopening ceremony Monday morning. The ceremony included entertainment from "American Idol" winner Candice Glover, the Boy and Girl Choristers of Washington National Cathedral Choir, the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the U.S. Navy Band.

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Washington Monument reopens after quake

Ticketed public tours will start at 1 p.m. ET, and Monday tickets were made available at the Washington Monument Lodge on a first-come basis. Tickets for tours on future dates have been available since April 16 at the park service's reservation page, www.recreation.gov. The park service will offer extended operating hours, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., through the end of summer.

"The construction of the Washington Monument began in 1848 when private citizens raised money to build a memorial to honor our nation's first president," Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in an announcement on the park service website.

For the restoration project, Congress allocated $7.5 million, and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein matched those funds with a $7.5 million donation via the Trust for the National Mall.

Photos: Repairing the Washington Monument 16 photos

Photos: Repairing the Washington Monument16 photos

Repairing the Washington Monument – The Washington Monument is reopening after a 2011 earthquake caused $15 million in damage. Cutting the ribbon Monday, May 12, were, from left, National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Robert Vogel; Caroline Cunningham, president of the Trust for the National Mall; David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-CEO of the Carlyle Group; National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis; U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell; counselor to President Obama John Podesta; Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C.; and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (with unidentified man).

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Repairing the Washington Monument – The Washington Monument is seen in April through cherry blossoms on the edge of the Tidal Basin.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Geese fly in front of the Washington Monument during a winter storm in February.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – The Washington Monument is framed by fall foliage in November.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – The Washington Monument stands covered in scaffolding as people visit the Lincoln Memorial in October.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – The monument is illuminated during a lighting ceremony in July.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Workers finish installing the last pieces of scaffolding in May 2013.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Workers walk on scaffolding around the monument as repairs continue in April 2013.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – A tourist takes a photo of the Washington Monument -- half-covered in scaffolding -- in March 2013.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Barricades are in place to keep people a safe distance from the damaged structure in August 2012.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – No major injuries were reported after the 5.8-magnitude earthquake, which struck on August 23, 2011, about 40 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Contractors began conducting a block-by-block inspection of the monument in September 2011.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Gordy Kito, left, and Erik Sohn pull in rope for people working on the damaged landmark.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – David Megerie traverses the exterior of the Washington Monument. Megerie is a contractor with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, the engineering firm leading the inspection.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – A worker descends the length of the monument after the earthquake. Officials said the heaviest damage seemed to be near the top of the structure.

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Repairing the Washington Monument – Dan Lemieux of the WJE engineering firm holds one of the larger pieces that fell from the monument during the earthquake.

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EXPAND GALLERY

"This enduring spirit of public-private partnerships has made it possible for visitors to once again enjoy the monument and its unmatched view of Washington, D.C.," Jewell said.